Louisiana Judge Preserves Telehealth Abortion Access, Pauses Case

Ruling puts FDA safety review of mifepristone on 'deliberate speed' timeline

Apr. 7, 2026 at 11:28pm

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A dimly lit, warm-toned painting of a solitary pharmacy counter with a single bottle of medication sitting on the counter, casting a long shadow, conveying a sense of quiet tension and uncertainty.As legal battles over telehealth abortion access continue, a quiet scene captures the tension and uncertainty surrounding the future of medication abortion.Louisiana Today

A federal judge in Louisiana has upheld telehealth access to abortion medication, pausing a case brought by the state's attorney general until the FDA completes a safety review of mifepristone. The judge ordered the FDA to conduct the review with 'deliberate speed' after reports the agency had planned to delay it until after the midterm elections.

Why it matters

This ruling maintains telehealth access to abortion pills in Louisiana, which has become a primary method of obtaining the medication since the Dobbs decision. However, the judge indicated he believes Louisiana has a strong case, setting up a potential future challenge once the FDA review is complete.

The details

U.S. District Judge David C. Joseph upheld the 2023 provision allowing telehealth prescriptions for mifepristone, one part of the two-drug regimen commonly used for abortion and miscarriage treatment. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, had sued the FDA in October, arguing the court should strike down the telehealth access. A Louisiana resident, Rosalie Markezich, who said her then-boyfriend coerced her into taking the pills, is also a plaintiff.

  • On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Judge Joseph issued the ruling.
  • In December, reports surfaced that the FDA had instructed officials to delay the safety review until after the 2022 midterm elections.

The players

Judge David C. Joseph

A federal judge in Louisiana who upheld telehealth access to abortion medication and ordered the FDA to conduct its safety review with 'deliberate speed'.

Liz Murrill

The Republican Attorney General of Louisiana who sued the FDA in October 2025, arguing the court should strike down the 2023 provision allowing telehealth prescriptions for mifepristone.

Rosalie Markezich

A Louisiana resident who is a plaintiff in the case, claiming her then-boyfriend coerced her into taking abortion pills.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

The federal agency that regulates and reviews the safety of medications, including mifepristone.

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What they’re saying

“Judge Joseph concluded that Louisiana has standing to sue and is likely to succeed in showing that the 2023 (rule) is unlawful. He also concluded that Louisiana suffers irreparable harm every day that the 2023 (rule) remains in effect. Accordingly, under binding Fifth Circuit precedent, the only thing left to do is vacate the 2023 (rule) pending the outcome of this litigation. We will ask the Fifth Circuit to do so.”

— Liz Murrill, Louisiana Attorney General

“Putting this baseless case on hold is certainly a better outcome than what Louisiana asked for: severe and immediate restrictions on mifepristone that would upend abortion and miscarriage care across the country. But it is small comfort that the Trump administration now holds the baton in this ongoing attack on medication abortion when we can see the administration teeing up the same harmful restrictions that abortion opponents are trying to win in court.”

— Julia Kaye, Senior Staff Attorney, Reproductive Freedom Project of the American Civil Liberties Union

What’s next

The judge left the motion open for Louisiana to refile after the FDA's safety review is complete, so the state could try to strike the provision down again at that point.

The takeaway

This ruling maintains telehealth access to abortion pills in Louisiana for now, but sets up a potential future challenge once the FDA review is complete. The case highlights the ongoing legal battles over abortion access in a post-Dobbs landscape.